The European Primary Care Cardiovascular Society becomes the European Primary Care Cardiorenalmetabolic Society, reflecting the future of integrated chronic disease management.
The European Primary Care Cardiovascular Society (EPCCS) today unveiled a broader identity as the European Primary Care Cardiorenalmetabolic Society, marking a significant milestone in the Society's evolution while retaining the internationally recognised acronym EPCCS.
The new name reflects a fundamental shift in modern medicine: cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity can no longer be viewed only as separate conditions. Instead, they represent interconnected manifestations of a single cardiorenalmetabolic (CRM) continuum from risk factors to multi-morbid disease states that increasingly shapes the work of primary care clinicians across Europe.
Primary care is at the forefront of managing chronic disease. General practitioners are often the first to identify patients with multiple, overlapping cardiovascular, renal and metabolic risk factors and remain central to coordinating their long-term care. As scientific understanding has evolved, so too has the need for an integrated educational approach.
By expanding its scope, EPCCS aims to provide healthcare professionals with practical, evidence-based education that reflects how patients present in real life, not just as isolated diseases, but as individuals with complex, interconnected health challenges.
"This is much more than an update of name," said Prof Richard Hobbs, President EPCCS & Director, Institute of Digital Health and Mercian Professor of Primary Care; Oxford, United Kingdom. "It reflects how healthcare has changed. Cardiovascular disease rarely exists in isolation. Kidney disease, diabetes and obesity are closely linked, sharing common mechanisms, risk factors and therapeutic opportunities. Our Society is evolving to help primary care clinicians manage patients through that broader clinical lens of multi-morbidities."
Since its establishment, EPCCS has become a trusted European society dedicated to improving cardiovascular care in primary care through education, collaboration and research.
The Society will continue to focus on delivering independent, high-quality educational programmes, promoting best clinical practice and strengthening collaboration between primary care and specialist communities.
The familiar acronym EPCCS has been retained, preserving the recognition and reputation built over many years while reflecting an expanded vision for the future.
Under its new identity, EPCCS will broaden its activities to support clinicians across the full spectrum of cardiorenalmetabolic care.
This includes:
More than ever before, healthcare professionals are recognising that improving outcomes depends on treating the whole patient rather than individual diseases.
Patients living with cardiovascular disease frequently also have chronic kidney disease, diabetes or obesity, with each condition accelerating the progression of the others. Earlier recognition of these interrelationships offers an opportunity to improve prevention, optimise treatment and reduce avoidable complications.
Prof Richard Hobbs said. "Our ambition is to become the leading European home for education in cardiorenalmetabolic care within primary care. By bringing these disciplines together under one scientific community, we can better support clinicians, and ultimately improve outcomes for millions of patients."
The transition to the European Primary Care Cardiorenalmetabolic Society represents the next chapter in EPCCS's development.
While the Society's name evolves, its purpose remains constant: empowering primary care professionals with the knowledge, confidence and collaborative networks they need to deliver outstanding patient care.
As cardiorenalmetabolic medicine continues to transform healthcare, EPCCS will continue to evolve alongside it, providing education that is practical, independent and grounded in the realities of frontline clinical practice.
The Society's activities are supported by GPcardio, the official communication platform of EPCCS, which serves as the Society's secretariat and operational partner. GPcardio provides the digital infrastructure that enables EPCCS to engage with primary care professionals across Europe and other continents, through educational resources, scientific news, member communications, event management, and day-to-day operational support.
As the Society expands its focus to cardiorenalmetabolic care, GPcardio will play an increasingly important role in disseminating independent scientific information, delivering educational programmes, and fostering collaboration between primary care clinicians and the wider cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic communities.
Founded in 2000, the European Primary Care Cardiorenalmetabolic Society (EPCCS) is a European scientific society dedicated to advancing excellence in the prevention, early detection and management of cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic diseases in primary care. For more than 25 years, the Society has supported primary care clinicians through independent education, scientific collaboration, research and the promotion of evidence-based clinical practice.
EPCCS brings together general practitioners, family physicians, nurses, researchers and other healthcare professionals with a shared commitment to improving cardiorenalmetabolic health across Europe. Recognising the growing interdependence of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity, the Society promotes an integrated approach to patient care that reflects the realities of modern primary care practice.
Through scientific meetings, educational programmes, collaborative initiatives and partnerships with leading European and international organisations, EPCCS empowers primary care professionals to deliver earlier diagnosis, better prevention and more coordinated management of cardiorenalmetabolic disease. By translating the latest scientific evidence into practical education, EPCCS aims to improve long-term outcomes for millions of patients across Europe.
GPcardio is the official communication platform and operational partner of the European Primary Care Cardiorenalmetabolic Society (EPCCS). Acting as the Society's secretariat, GPcardio supports membership services, educational activities, scientific communications, digital engagement, and the delivery of independent education, helping connect primary care professionals across Europe with the latest evidence and best practices in cardiorenalmetabolic medicine.
